Comping for Experiences

mrmshaw

One thing comping has done for me is that it has brought me some amazing experiences.

One of my first big wins was Capital Radio's Avatar Premier Competition. I had a limo for the day that took me to Nobu for a £200 lunch, then onto Selfridges and £1000 to spend. then we were taken to the World Premier of Avatar and got to walk the Blue Carpet with the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington and James Cameron. A day I'll never forget.

Another great experience was with Scotts Power Snooker competition where I won VIP tickets with Green room passes. Got to meet Ronnie and all the players up close and personal between matches and s[pent hours chatting to them. Also got a cue signed by them all.

Eddie Izzards premier of his biography. Before the screening I was in the bar (all gratis) with Derren Brown and had a chat with Bill oddie about my up coming trip to Shetland (another comp win and amazing experience). I even got to meet Eddie after the film which was great as I think he is one of the funniest stand up's ever.

Ringside seats for the night of champions boxing was a first for me too. Been to plenty of boxing matches but never Ringside.

Recently I went to the Carling Bonfire Ball too from another win. The party was average but the location and view of St Paul's is another thing I will never forget.

There are others too, like the trip to Brighton and the tickets for Sonisphere Festival.

All memories that will stick with me forever and ones I would never have had without comping and more importantly this forum and the amazing and generous people who post here.

Sorry to go on...so how about you lot...what never forget moments has comping brought to you?

lilrahi

Wow, you've done a lot of amazing things. Most of that is money-can't-buy things which is even better!

My best would be my trip to Gulliver's World Theme Park. My kids had a great day and it was a first for all us to stay in a hotel! We really enjoyed it.

Hoping for more, won a trip to London, details pending...

babs

Mine have been holidays mostly - 3 in particular were fantastic

1st was to Tallinn in Estonia, we were picked up at the airport in a limo, taken our 5 star hotel, we had a VIP pass for the city that got us all transport/entrances in to everything and also included meal at one of Estonia's top restaurants, taken back to airport by limo (we felt like royalty!)

2nd was a 2 night break to a luxury hotel in the UK (normally costs £1000 for 2 nights!!) We had a suite with a balcony and it included 5 course dinner on both nights by a Michelin star chef and breakfast and full use of the spa - lovely sat outside in the hottub!

3rd was a ski holiday to Canada split over 2 resorts - Where we stayed at Banff Springs and Chateau Lake Louise (they are gorgeous!) discovered I hated ski-ing, so abandoned it and we just went sightseeing, cable car over the mountains was amazing! Totally fell in love with Canada - its an amazing county with the most friendliest people in the world. Got delayed by the Ash Cloud coming home so ended up staying 3 nights in Calgary, where I went up Calgary Tower and one night where we went to a real cowboy bar and had bucking bull and everyone danced like they were at a hoe down, I'll never forget it (felt like I was in the waltons!) - never been to anything like it, but loved it!

Comping is amazing and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to go to these places and experience what I did.

Barnabysue

I never enter for holidays or experiences, I get homesick when I leave our Postcode LOL. My Daughter doesn't class herself as a comper but I tell her about any trips that I think she would like. So far she has been to New York then cruised back on the QM2, to Memphis following the Blues Trail with a different hotel every night, A Spa Break to York, next week she's off to Champneys for 4 nights and in May she flies to Grenada for a week. She's been incredibly lucky for the number of comps that she enters.

hamsterfan1

I won a spa day & tbh it was rubbish - it was a day at a gym with one beauty treatment thrown in. I also won a weekend at the Great British Cheese Festival with drinks thrown in at the event & a hotel stay - have you ever tried drinking £50 of beer between two?

mrmshaw

Thank you for sharing everyone.

Makes it all the more special when kids are involved lilrahi. Hope you win some more days out for you and them.

I've been to Tallinn too Babs. Not a comp win, but my Ex was from there. Bet you had a great time on that.
Very jealous about the Canada trip too. Shame you never got on with Skiing though. I love it.

That's the thing Barnabysue. I was deliberately entering for experiences outside my comfort zone and I still do.
Your Daughter sounds incredibly lucky, but good for her. The Memphis trip sounds amazing.

have you ever tried drinking £50 of beer between two?

Plenty of times Hamsterfan1, with quite an impressive success rate.

Here's to us all winning more lifetime experiences, and I would love to hear of any others.

:beer:

hoogervaaner

Great thread, I love experience wins and really enjoy reading about some of the amazing times had by others.
This year thanks to comping I went to the French alps and discovered I love skiing, have been to a film premiere, have partied in Ibiza as a vip guest of the amazing Judge Jules and I'm going to Hong Kong very soon. The ski win really has been life changing as my husband is a passionate skier and is delighted that this is something we can enjoy together

surfboard2

Recently i came back from a weeks holiday in Port Douglas, Australia, which had nearly everything included.

Our transfers were booked, car hire included, a couple of meals in fancy restaurants, 3 hour spa treatment, days out. It was incredible! The private accommodation we stayed in was beautiful! It was the same accommodation that Dani Minogue stayed in whilst she was filming the XFactor. We also met some amazing people.

I can't wait to see what next year holds!

shudd1967

Had an amazing win staying at The Atlantic Hotel in Jersey with a 10 course dinner at its Michelin starred restaurant complete with wines all chosen to complement each course by the French sommelier. It was incredible! Then the day after we had an afternoon with the Michelin star chef, Mark Jordan. He was great fun and we had a brilliant time.

I took my two daughters and it was the sort of experience we would not normally have even looked at.

Matryoshka

Won a holiday to Barcelona for 10 days. Went with hubby, no kids. It was fantastic sitting down for breakfast in the morning and not yelling and walking down La Rambla holding hands pretending to be young lovers :rotfl::rotfl:and even amazing that we had our hotel room to ourselves

[Deleted User]

Aw nice thread

I won a VIP trip to the Chelsea Flower Show that I had entered because my mum had always wanted to go. We also had a night in a lovely hotel that would have been too pricy for us and got a tour of the sponsors garden which was great- we were tramping around it behind the velvet rope clutching our glasses of champers while everyone else could only look from afar! Had to buy pretty expensive last minute flights to get there but was worth it.

I have also won a night in a very nice hotel in London that I am taking on my birthday in December, have used Nectar points to pay for easyjet flights and we get a free 3 course meal too. It will be really nice to see all the London Xmas lights that I've never seen before.

Both of these experiences I would never have had I not won, I'm very very grateful!